Quaker Houghton $KWR Shares Sold by GW&K Investment Management LLC

Key Points

• GW&K Investment Management LLC trimmed its stake in Quaker Houghton by 10.2%, selling 32,261 shares and leaving it with 285,557 shares (about 1.65% of the company, valued at ~$37.6M); overall institutional ownership stands at 77.46%.
• Analysts are mixed with an average rating of "Hold" (3 Buy, 2 Hold, 1 Sell) and an average target price of $175.67, while recent notes include reaffirmed Buy views and modest target cuts.
• Operational snapshot: Quaker Houghton missed EPS ($1.65 vs. $1.71) though revenue rose 5.5% year-over-year; the stock is down ~3.9%, market cap is ~$2.36B, and the company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.508 ($2.03 annual, ~1.5% yield).

GW&K Investment Management LLC lessened its stake in shares of Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR - Free Report) by 10.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 285,557 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock after selling 32,261 shares during the quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC owned 1.65% of Quaker Houghton worth $37,623,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Quaker Houghton in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. acquired a new position in Quaker Houghton during the second quarter worth $30,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Quaker Houghton by 284.8% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 304 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 225 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Quaker Houghton by 87.1% in the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 348 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $46,000 after buying an additional 162 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Osaic Holdings Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Quaker Houghton by 54.4% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 673 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $76,000 after buying an additional 237 shares during the period. 77.46% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. Zacks Research upgraded Quaker Houghton from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Quaker Houghton from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, March 1st. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $203.00 target price on shares of Quaker Houghton in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their target price on shares of Quaker Houghton from $190.00 to $184.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Quaker Houghton presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $175.67.

Quaker Houghton Stock Down 3.9%

KWR stock opened at $135.95 on Friday. The company's 50 day moving average price is $156.73 and its 200 day moving average price is $143.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1,132.82, a PEG ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 1.34. Quaker Houghton has a fifty-two week low of $95.91 and a fifty-two week high of $183.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a quick ratio of 1.72 and a current ratio of 2.42.

Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 23rd. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.71 by ($0.06). Quaker Houghton had a positive return on equity of 8.99% and a negative net margin of 0.13%.The firm had revenue of $468.48 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $465.17 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.33 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Quaker Houghton will post 7.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Quaker Houghton Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.508 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 16th. This represents a $2.03 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. Quaker Houghton's payout ratio is presently -1,691.67%.

Quaker Houghton Company Profile

Quaker Houghton is a global provider of process fluids, chemical specialties and sustainable solutions for industrial applications. The company develops and supplies metalworking fluids, coatings, and corrosion inhibitors, as well as heat transfer, lubrication and additive products designed to improve productivity and extend equipment life. Its portfolio addresses a range of end markets including automotive, aerospace, defense, energy, mining, agriculture and heavy industry.

The company traces its roots back to the founding of Quaker Chemical Corporation in 1918 and Houghton International in 1865.

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